Menagerie

Ghira Belladonna faced away from the desk filled with documents before collapsing, exhausted, onto the back of his chair. After a heavy sigh, he ran his hands over his tired face, as if trying to gather the fatigue and shed it, knowing that his working day was not yet over.

As a top-level politician, being King of Menagerie, not that he liked being called that, Ghira's working day was never over. He's the first faunus to receive all the news inside and outside the state, the first faunus to determine the direction and reaction of the state, and the first faunus to issue orders and instructions… At least, that's what his position required, as evidenced by the ever-growing reports on his desk.

Ghira finding himself buried under the pressure and volume of work is a daily occurrence. And unfortunately, Ghira Belladonna was only one imperfect faunus that could not, alone, replace the work of dozens and hundreds of administrators. They were always hated by ordinary citizens, not realizing just how much they needed their work.

Ghira required allies, subordinates, deputies, people able to share his burden of work, his responsibilities, and to help him to tide the unstoppable flow of needs, complaints, and suggestions gathering on his desk every day. That is, he required more of them.

Of course, Ghira chose some suitable deputies, the Albain brothers had demonstrated themselves perfectly at home in the field of financial and media control. Sienna was settling nicely into her new role as commander of the army. And Kali was still, from old memory, training his personal guards at times.

And therein lay the problem.

The alliance with Glenn was made at a time of desperate need for the two nations, both of them, young kingdoms struggling to survive. Each of them clinging to each other in the storm of open ocean that is international politics together.

No one could have imagined the dividends that the pressured pact would bring.

As time passed, Glenn's star rose sharply, demonstrating miracle after miracle, and all Menagerie needed to do was to 'stick' to the leader. All it needed to do was to follow behind Glenn, and it would also rise to new heights. And that was exactly what Ghira did, and what happened.

Lien began to flow into Menagerie, with opportunities for development popping up, making the whole of Menagerie richer. For the first time in a long time, the faunus of Menagerie looked to the future not with the thought of how to preserve what little they had, but how to multiply it. For the first time, social programs to support the poor began to appear, with the semi-legal White Fang gangs replaced by an actual police and army. The roadside bazaars began to be transformed into large shopping centers.

Following such developments, Ghira's power had grown stronger along with it, and Menagerie found that they could finally breathe freely.

And at that moment, Ghira suddenly discovered that Menagerie had become firmly tied to Glenn.

A common economic initiative, a common trade area, joint military exercises, Menagerie found almost all its way of life tied with Glenn's. Though strictly speaking, there was nothing inherently wrong with it, after all, if everyone involved in the integration benefited from it, what could be wrong with that? Wasn't it a natural extension of friendship, if the states were allies, then eventually their movement would lead to a gradual creation of commonality, until the differences between the two states disappear altogether.

And with Ghira never considering himself a man fit to rule, then wouldn't the opportunity to lean on the friendly shoulder of an ally seem advantageous to him? After all, he did not want to retain his crown at all costs, with him only accepting his crown solely because Jonathan had done so? Using Jonathan's model of rulership to legitimize his own power and rule, especially for a young nation like Menagerie, whose position in global politics is shaky at best.

Yet Ghira was not a foolish man.

Mindful of his old man's admonition, Ghira did not make the major mistake of bringing personal feelings into politics, there was no concept of friendship in politics, only common goals, as well as no enmity, only competition and confrontation. A national populace could have feelings for other nations, but a nation itself, the one he swore to carry on his shoulders, never should.

So at some point, waking up and looking at the front pages of the newspapers, Ghira wondered about something for the first time.

If Menagerie were benefiting solidly from their integration with Glenn, what benefit were Glenn getting from it? And what was the downside of such integration? After all, the world was not perfect, any positive action had to have a counter-action, or at least a motive. Especially in politics.

In the end, Ghira was grateful for the way Glenn had helped the faunus of Menagerie rise from their poverty, but what price would the faunus end up paying for those gifts? The only place where free cheese existed was in a mousetrap.

Ghira started suspecting something wrong when the protests in Mantle were just gaining strength, as the faunus of Menagerie waited with bated breath for the outcome of the struggle against the symbol of their oppression.

And when Glenn's soldiers entered Atlas and Mantle, many Faunus rejoiced. Many, but not all. And Ghira was not among the group that were celebrating.

Glenn had made their move, overnight, passing through Solitas' impregnable ice wastelands, going over the head of their allied Mantle, and conquering Atlas. And as much as it was sweet to watch Atlas fall, Ghira could not rejoice in it.

Menagerie was firmly tied to Glenn, so firmly in fact that some could argue who was actually the ruler of Menagerie, and Ghira could not fault those who did.

Menagerie's businesses that first blossomed under Glenn's patronage, usually became very loyal to their patron, their sole source of capital – it was, alas, not Ghira.

Furthermore, Raven Branwen's squad, stationed in the capital of Menagerie as a 'security force' to bolster Menagerie's meager army, had long since evolved from a mercenary gang into a small private army. Ghira had once agreed to this move, providing Jonathan's underlings with a suitable place to quarter convicted criminals, especially since he needed the manpower to quell the Grimm in his territory.

At the time, Ghira had not even considered that a military unit led by soldiers loyal personally to a different ruler, located in the heart of his state, was not such a good idea. Ghira understood far less about politics at the time, hoping it would simply be a 'symbol of friendship' between the two nations. And now nearly three thousand armed soldiers were in Menagerie. If it comes to a fight, like in Atlas, he was already surrounded.

However, given teleportation, did it make sense to complain whether Raven's units were in the city at the moment or not? It wouldn't even take a day for Glenn to move any military units.

But, most importantly, when Ghira saw Jonathan's aggression, which could have turned against Menagerie, another of his 'allies', at any moment, the others saw no harm.

Even Sienna, perhaps the most patriotic and nationalistic of all the faunus that Ghira had ever known, looked on Osmond's 'decisive' actions with approval! What to say of the common people who were not interested in the political background of what was happening.

'Atlas has been thrown off its pedestal, so let's drink to that!' Were the only thoughts running in their head.

Ghira didn't think Jonathan a madman or a tyrant, no, in fact, he quite understood the reasoning behind his actions, just as he understood the reasoning that led to the movement of his troops. But he was not blind to the danger Jonathan posed.

Jonathan had just betrayed his ally when he no longer needed him. Even if he didn't actually have anything to do with Robyn's resignation, and it really was just an incredibly lucky coincidence, Jonathan was hardly concerned about giving credit to Mantle's heroic resistance. No, his actions had been swift and brutal at the same time, to both his enemy and 'ally', disarming Mantle and Atlas' military forces, cleansing the field of disloyal commanders, then promoting his own men to positions of power. Even Kaiser Quartz's candidacy raised many questions for Ghira, he was too eager to take Jonathan's hints, and too often he appeared with one or two RATS agents in public… He was practically showing off his 'close' relation with Glenn!

Still, even with his instinct telling him that Glenn is dangerous, Ghira couldn't just declare one day that 'from now on, all contact with Glenn is forbidden'. That would have been suicidal, not on the scale of the state, but personally, as even his most loyal followers do not follow a mad king.

It would take years of action – a gradual withdrawal from the single market, gradual dilution of joint initiatives, and outreach to other states, to turn Menagerie's actions from collapse into at least a gradual cooling off between states. Businesses will need support, Glenn is an indispensable and profitable partner for Menagerie, and there will be a need for gradually evolving agitation campaigns that shift the focus from 'Menagerie and Glenn, brothers forever', to one that separates the two… All this amidst the inspired ecstasy of ordinary fauna rejoicing over the death of Atlas, which, in turn, Glenn himself had a hand in.

All the while not making it obvious.

Ghira was not sure how Glenn would react to Menagerie's actions, Jonathan had shown himself ready for any action, including the most radical and unexpected, both for his enemies and allies. Worse, Glenn had plenty of power to force Menagerie into submission, if his own people wouldn't do it for Jonathan. The era of two-state interdependence, where Glenn needed Menagerie just as it needed Glenn, under which Menagerie could keep Glenn in check, was over.

With the resources from Mantle and Atlas, Glenn did not need Menagerie to support itself, at least it was now no longer a critical existence for Glenn. A divorce from Menagerie, and any possible reaction from Glenn, could have resulted in damage, but it was incomparable to the damage Glenn herself could put on the table against Menagerie.

Fortunately, or not, Ghira was no longer sure, when doubt and political discord in which even Sienna, for all her patriotism, was hesitant to turn her back on Glenn, suddenly Ozpin and the Mistral Council reached out to Menagerie. Apparently, Ozpin had seriously antagonized Jonathan, while Mistral was simply finding ways in benefiting as much as possible. In a brief moment of respite while Jonathan was distracted by pacifying Mantle and Atlas, Ghira was able to take advantage of a window of opportunity.

It was presented not as a rift between allies, but as an attempt to act as a 'negotiator' between the states concerned, 'neutral territory'.

Which was difficult to do being the headquarters for Raven Branwen's army, but for the benefit of Ozpin's bailout, this was not something that was mentioned in the highest political circles.

And so, Menagerie began the gradual path of estrangement from Glenn, gradually, but also as quickly and decisively as possible, taking advantage of the fact that Glenn's attention was diverted. Though, when Glenn finally caught on, and the time was up, fate would judge for itself how well Ghira had prepared for it.

Ghira did what he could, economic initiatives with Vale and Mistral to mention one, even when Sienna's cooperation with the latter still sometimes tugged at her cheek at the mention. For all political necessity, collaborating with the state where Faunus slavery first came into being, was not pleasant to her or anyone else.

But needs obliged, unless Ghira wanted to wake up one morning to the noisy march of the Glenn armies under his windows, over yet another disagreement between Ghira and Jonathan's vision, he needed to act.

Six months passed without notice from Glenn or Jonathan, then a year, then a year and a half passed, Ghira was even beginning to think that things were turning out well. Slowly but surely, Menagerie was slipping out of Glenn's grip, it could even stand tall on the International stage too, there was no shortage of those that were unhappy with Glenn, ones that would be happy to help Menagerie. It was not an easy or happy journey, however, as Menagerie cultivated a closer friendship with Vale and Mistral.

Many in Menagerie were unhappy with Ghira's reluctance to strengthen ties with Glenn, or worse, becoming friends with Vale or Mistral. The two kingdoms, while not as bad as Atlas in the past, were not at all that friendly either – so for the two Kingdoms to gain more power in Menagerie were looked on poorly. And then, there were those who simply disapproved of Ghira's desire to become a 'neutral' party by giving the political arena to the other players.

However, Jonathan was not willing to let go so easily. Menagerie, albeit no longer critical, were still an important player and partner. And so at last, after being silent for so long, Jonathan had made his move, thankfully not as radical as the invasion of Menagerie, but relatively effective.

The ARA – the All-Remnant Alliance, a global economic initiative that has linked Glenn, Mantle, Atlas…

And Menagerie.

Jonathan didn't let Menagerie's actions of gradual disassociation from Glenn past his eyes and ears, deciding to pull them in by force with one move. A total logistical revolution, access to goods and markets as a carrot, with one particularly large stick accompanying it. Glenn's soldiers were still stationed in Menagerie, soldiers that Ghira did not have time nor power to relocate without outright cutting off relations with Glenn, though not for lack of trying. He was just weeks away from finalizing and signing his 'providing separate priority infrastructure for foreign troops as part of the alliance initiative' project into action.

Having seemingly escaped the vortex of Glenn's gravity, Menagerie once again found itself pulled into the whirlpool of Glenn, this time with a serious guarantee that Menagerie would not be able to break free. After all, Glenn had not only ensured its presence on Menagerie's domestic market, but also on Mistral, which was now interested not only in Menagerie's offerings, but in those of the combined ARA.

Ozpin could support Menagerie bypassing the ARA initiative, but…

The worst part of the whole situation was that life under Glenn's control wasn't so bad.

Menagerie's companies benefited greatly from the economic integration, with satisfied customers enjoying daily deliveries to their doorsteps from every corner of Remnant. Factories were growing under the increased demands, with new shopping centers popping up each day to handle the increased customer demands. The military was working out plans that seemed more like fantastic speculation only yesterday, with civilians contributing to the rudimentary tourism industry for the first time. All these factors show that Menagerie was confidently getting ahead of the rest of the world.

And so Ghira pondered.

Was the loss of sovereignty so bad?

After all, Jonathan hadn't treated them badly even after conquering Mantle and Atlas, he had indeed sought to improve their quality of life, by using the city's resources. He hadn't turned Menagerie into a slave galley, instead promoting prosperity. Wouldn't he instead be making enemies where there are only shadows?

Was the price for this, in the form of a title and barely formal submission to Glenn, excessive? The Albains clearly think not, with the two brothers advocating for Glenn, in a practical understanding of the good. Sienna respects Jonathan, and she's an idealist! But can I even be sure that she values me above Jonathan? At least as long as Jonathan is, in her eyes, beneficial to Menagerie.

Ghira closed his eyes, wiped his tired face and turned back to the documents scattered on his desk.

And every day, the moment of peace where I don't have to worry about this is farther and farther away from me…

***

Blake Belladonna was a grown-up girl. At least, she thought she was, and she had every reason to think of herself as such! She was no longer six years old, but fourteen! An age at which only a fool would consider her a child.

Unfortunately, apart from fools, that category also included her parents, and she didn't think her parents were stupid… Okay, only a little.

When her mother had told her off for sneaking out again, using her authority as heiress of the White Fang and Princess of Menagerie, she couldn't figure out why it's so wrong. Her mother 's worries that there would be danger in every corner seemed ridiculous to her, even if she were not a princess!

But she was, after all, a princess. What could ever go wrong, and who could raise a hand against her? She was a princess! In Menagerie, all over the world, as long as she was within the cities, she was perfectly safe! It's not like she was going out to fight the Grimm or something equally dangerous!

But, contrary to her very cogent arguments, every time she slipped out of the house and stepped away from the 'safe area' even just a few steps out the gates, that was it. There would be an immediate search, a frantic panicked by agents and cops… Should she be glad that Father didn't mobilize the army?

And that was when she had just gone on a walk to visit a new café! She hadn't even done anything other than buy a coffee and the fresh tuna sandwich, a crime for which she had been placed under house arrest for a week?! Wasn't that just crazy?

And in the end, wasn't it her parents' fault? There was no way Blake could have known in advance that she would be attracted to this or that street or people? After all, all Blake had to do was utter her name, and she could expect no normal interaction with anyone. They would immediately be taken at gunpoint, surrounded on all sides, and tortured for two hours before they'd let Blake get close to them.

What kind of social life could she have in that case?! Only with Auntie Neo and Cinder, or with Nora…

But Aunties Neo and Cinder, and Nora hadn't visited Menagerie in a long time, so she was quite lonely… Of course, it wasn't their fault, they were already getting ready to graduate from Hunter academy… Well, except for Nora. Nora was probably still being chased by Aunt Cinder for admission.

Blake likes Nora, her antics were entertaining, especially whenever she visited, she seemed to love just getting in the weirdest of places. Of course, it meant more trouble for Aunt Cinder and maybe even Blake's guards, but that just meant more entertainment for her.

But now, Blake has no one to play with, so she has to make her own fun, which meant it was the best time for her to sneak out!

Father was busy, as usual, and Mother had just gone for some kind of meeting in the Ministry of Information, so this is a rare occasion where Blake was left alone. Well, not really alone, since her bodyguards were still around, but she just asked them to leave, telling them that she would be using the training room. It took a little cajoling and reasoning that the Training Room is a reinforced room with no windows with one way out for the bodyguards to accede to her wish – all according to plan!

Not that she needed more training really, her grades in the preparatory school are the best! Okay, maybe she needed more work in Math… And she might need some more work with her hand-to-hand skill, but other than that, she was the best in her grade!

Well, in a way, she was actually training right now, in stealth and field movement that is! Just like the ninjas in the secret book that Mother and Aunt Sienna likes to read secretly! Though, if she got found out, her reasoning would probably not work out, all the reason she got to get the move on.

Okay! First, was to climb up this small wooden dummy, then with a hop, off of it onto a wooden rung. And then, after she pulled herself up, she could grab on to a rickety piece of roofing, and with a bit of force pushing it aside… And there, she was out of the building!

It had cost Blake so much trouble and to loosen the roof tile, and to do it secretly, that she would have been better off not mentioning it to her mother. Though, she would probably have praised her persistence and perseverance. Father said that that's where she was, just like mom.

On the roof, she took some time to take in her surroundings to find a way down the roof, spotting a tree branch that seemed close enough where she could reach it with a jump. Balancing carefully, she jumped quickly onto the branch, all the while hiding from the gaze of a passing guard. Azure was on duty here today, and she usually didn't go around the grounds before two in the afternoon, but excess carefulness didn't hurt anyone. Especially since she had almost revealed her secret passage to her parents once before.

She climbed the branches to the other side, hiding behind the foliage, then up to the roof of the gatehouse carefully. And from there along the old window frame, to the fence, and down to freedom!

Ta-da, a miracle, Blake is outside, with no one the wiser! That recording of random sounds she left playing in the Training Room would do for her alibi. So, two hours of freedom!

Finally walking outside her family compound, Blake stretched her body, the smell of freedom suffusing every fiber of her being, before looking around and heading off in a random direction at a brisk pace. Luckily, no one questioned Blake's need for a change of clothes, so after a change, she was able to get out of the house in low-key clothes that would make it easy for Blake to blend in with the crowd.

Not that her face was unknown in the city, but few suspected the princess and the ruler's daughter in every young girl her age with roughly similar looks to her. After all, she wasn't like Auntie Cinder, not in the sense that she was stupid or somehow bad, but in the sense that Blake's face didn't flash on TV screens or in advertisements. People knew of her existence and could identify her on television when she appeared in public on the rare occasion of some regular social gathering. But, as long as she didn't say her name, her identity was secret enough.

So, turning out of the back alleys onto the main street, Blake easily wedged herself into the small stream of rushing Faunus, none of which had lifted an eyebrow or notice when she appeared. Blake was content to follow the crowd as she contemplated where to go, it wasn't the first time Blake had been to this place, but neither was she all too familiar with the streets of Kuo Kana. Sure, she had been using her secret passage for a few months now, and in that time she had become quite familiar with her surroundings on this side of the house.

But, every time she got out of the house, it was as if the street changed before her eyes.

New establishments, new menus, new people, unlike her usual always identical social gatherings with the same people she went with her parents to, be they in Menagerie or Glenn.

She saw new people in Atlas and Mantle, of course, but she'd only been there a couple of times and to get there she had to go to a teleportation station, which in turn required an adult escort and documentation.

While she wouldn't call herself sheltered, she also couldn't claim to be well travelled, especially when just going a few meters away from her parents or bodyguards risked a good whipping from her mother. While using the teleportation station to visit another city would mean that she would get to explore more… At that thought, a shiver ran down her back, Blake was afraid to imagine the outcome if Kali found out that Blake had escaped to the other side of the world for a walk.

After walking a few paces down the street, Blake turned her gaze to the mall she could see from outside her windows, then walked quickly towards it, feeling a smile creep onto her face. Here she is on a walk without any interference from anyone else! On a warm Menagerie day in May, she couldn't help but smile, enjoying the beauty, freedom, and sunshine around her… Everything one needed for a pleasant pastime.

Making her way to the mall, Blake took a step inside before looking around for things to do. The shops were of little interest to her, she could get anything she wanted out of them anyway with a simple order. Wasting time in shops now that she only had a couple of hours to spare seemed wasteful to her.

For a second, Blake thought about going to the food court. It was not that she was hungry, but getting food from such places behind her mother's back and the chefs from back home, was appealing in itself as an idea. She was about to walk towards the food court, before her gaze stumbled upon an Arcade.

Blake's eyes instantly lit up with a desire to test her strength against some player and show off her power and the quality of her training at her school. Not that Blake wanted to show that she was better than others… But if she was going to, why should Blake be ashamed of it?

So, stepping forward, Blake… Instantly flew into someone, as they jumped out in front of her.

"Ay!" The short exclamation was the only semi-sensible sound Blake and the crossing figure made as the both of them started falling. Blake's trained instinct, almost literally beaten into her, reacted. Her hands flashed forward as she managed to regain her balance in the nick of time, catching hold of the falling figure and stopping her fall. Now they're frozen in a strange posture, as if in a dance move she saw in the movies.

"Watch where you're going!" The disgruntled girl's voice caused Blake, however, to immediately pull her hands away from the girl. Luckily the girl was able to land on her feet, but now Blake was too incensed by the rude remark, glaring back at her.

"Look yourself!" Irritation rose in Blake for a moment, but she immediately suppressed it, as it was unseemly of a princess to say rude words. After all, she had always been taught that her face was that of all Menagerie, and she was supposed to show mercy to others… At least because Menagerie's princess swearing at passers-by would be a stain on the state's reputation.

"Oh…" Blake was about to leave when she heard a soft exclamation from the girl, and Blake was finally able to get a good look at the one in question.

She is a short girl with gray eyes, with her hair fashioned in a tight high brown ponytail, strangely seeming to manage to curl itself into a tight curl at the end, forming a small spiral.

The girl's skin was quite tanned and covered in numerous freckles… That seemed to be changing colors?

True, a moment later, when Blake raised her face and frowned at the girl and her eyes widened, the color of her skin changed to a much more pink color. In fact, her hair also turned to a light reddish color, in an instant so fast that Blake could have sworn it was magic… Well, or, what was more likely, a Semblance, but if it was, it was completely unfair!

Even Blake still hadn't found her Semblance, how did that rude girl have a Semblance and Blake still didn't?!

"Oh, um… uh…" The girl suddenly started stuttering as she looked at Blake. Blake couldn't believe it!? Has she been discovered already!? If she had been discovered, then this was bad. No! She shouldn't panic, the important thing now was to convince the girl to keep quiet and not draw attention to Blake! It wasn't often she got the chance to get out of the house unguarded, she wouldn't lose it just after five minutes!

"Shh!" Blake raised a finger to her lips to show the girl that she should be quiet. "You need to keep quiet, and listen to me!"

"Yes, sure!" The girl nodded instantly when Blake commanded her, still pink, literally, she had been found out! It was a second before Blake realized, a second later, that there was no important information to understand. "Eh, what about?"

"About myself." Blake answered instantly, and at the girl's confused look, still pink though, before her mind was pierced by a hunch. "Wait, so you don't know who you're talking to?"

"Ah, no… Not really." The girl shook her head, then, realizing that her body's coloration still belonged more to tomatoes than humans, instantly changed its color again, making Blake think that it was not a Semblance, but simply her nature as a Faunus. A chameleon, perhaps?." My name… I am Ilia. Ilia Amitola."

"And I'm…" Blake thought for a second about it for a second, then, suppressing an irritated impulse, sighed and held out her hand. "Bella. It's nice to meet you."

"Yup… It's nice to meet you, too." Ilia held out her hand for a handshake, her coloring changing again for a moment, returning to her previous pinkish blush of skin. She shook Blake's hand for a moment, before letting go of Blake's hand like she just touched a red-hot coal, she definitely looked much more red than before. Blake looked suspiciously at the red like lobster girl, before she quickly took control of her ability, returning to a much more manageable pink color. "And you… Are you here alone?"

Blake threw a suspicious look at the girl at her question, after all, she hadn't been taught all her childhood not to trust strangers for nothing. Even if no one would think to lay a finger on her, one still needs to be careful. "Why are you asking?"

"No, nothing, no reason at all!" Ilia shook her head from side to side quickly as she also waved her hands, trying to reassure Blake, before she tried to restart the conversation again. Preferably in a direction where she doesn't look like a creep or a danger. "Are you, ahem… Where are you going?"

"I'm heading to the arcade." Blake shifted her gaze from Ilia to the arcade, just a few steps away, then back to Ilia, remembering that she only had a few hours to enjoy her freedom, and she wasted them talking to some girl. "In fact, I gotta go."

"Wait!" But Ilia wasn't about to give up so easily. "Maybe… maybe we could go together?"

At that suggestion, Blake thought for a moment… before an idea popped into her head.

After all, she needed an opponent against whom she could demonstrate her might, didn't she?

"Sure!" Blake had to reassess her idea that Ilia's skin changing ability was because she was a Faunus, she looked really red right now.